Do any Atlantans remember El Pollo Loco, or has it been forgotten already? The California-based chain only had a fleeting presence in this market – perhaps nine stores, maybe, in a four-year period – but for those of us who visited it, it left good memories. Their schtick was flame-grilled chicken, with a nice, flavorful, perfectly seasoned taste that wasn’t too dry despite the evident char on the meat. A little squirt of lime juice and that just did me fine.
This preparation was said – admittedly on the company’s own PR – to be the authentic taste of northwestern Mexico, and a couple of years ago, a family from the Mexican state of Sinaloa opened this little place on Buford Highway, suggesting that the PR people might not have been pulling our legs. Marie and I finally stopped by after a couple of false starts and enjoyed a dinner that was very pleasantly reminiscent of the flavors from El Pollo Loco, although better in most every possible way.
One of those false starts came at the beginning of February. Regular readers may recall that I spent the day with the children up and down the I-85 corridor. That evening, while I was completely full of barbecue, we met our friends Helen and Vincent, and they suggested that we try this place. I begged a veto, as I had eaten my fill that day and was looking forward to trying it. We went to Havana Restaurant again that evening instead, and everybody enjoyed empanadas and Cuban sandwiches, and the baby had a bath in black bean soup again.
When Marie and I got the chance for a night out, just the two of us, we ended up here. Not many people have written about this restaurant yet. Review Atlanta is the only one that I’ve found, and I had to add the darn place to Urbanspoon, so there’s hardly a critical consensus or anything about it. I wonder what other people are thinking. Have they tried the ceviche tostada like I did? It comes piled so high with ceviche that I used one of the soft tortillas that came with my quarter chicken and some lettuce and onions to make a fish taco, and poured a wonderful avocado sauce all over it. Meanwhile, Marie enjoyed some of a gigantic burrito that she could not finish, nor could most people, I imagine.
I do like this place. It’s inexpensive and the staffer who served us was as friendly and helpful as we could hope for. There are several families enjoying very loud soccer games on TV and the food is really good. I’d like to give this place another visit sometime soon.
You can see all the restaurants that we have visited for our blog on this map, with links back to the original blog posts. It’s terrific for anybody planning a road trip through the southeast!
Marie, Let's Eat! 
Believe it or not, I LOVED El Pollo Loco. That was the best “fast food” chicken in the city. I’d love to try that taste again, so I will check this place out.
I liked them too – we occasionally ate at the one out 120 between Marietta and Dallas, which was an odd place for an outpost of a very small chain trying to make it big in the region.
Such a coincidence-I passed by this place a few days ago & had really wanted to try it since they opened up right next door to the now-closed Kowloon restaurant! Now that I’m seeing your review, it looks like I’ll have to-that ceviche taco looks amazing as does the chicken! 😀
The chicken looks a whole lot better in person than it does in that awful picture. Promise!
I cannot wait to try this place. Grilled chicken sounds particularly great right now!